Coreopsis plant named ‘Solar Dance’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Coreopsis  named ‘Solar Dance’ that is characterized by its broadly upright and compact plant habit, its semi-double ray florets that are deep yellow in color, its long and floriferous bloom period, its good winter hardiness compared to other cultivars of  Coreopsis , and its healthy foliage.

Botanical classification: Coreopsis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Solar Dance’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of a plantbotanically of hybrid origin and known as Coreopsis. The new cultivarwill be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name ‘Solar Dance’. ‘SolarDance’ is an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape and container use.

‘Solar Dance’ was selected by the Inventor as a seedling in a trialgarden in Warmond, The Netherlands in July of 2011. The new cultivararose from open pollination of an unnamed (not patented) seedling ofCoreopsis grandiflora in the inventors breeding program. The male parentis unknown but the new cultivar is believed to be of hybrid originrather than a cultivar of Coreopsis grandiflora.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by rootcuttings in Warmond, The Netherlands in February of 2014 by theInventor. Asexual propagation by root cuttings and stem cuttings hasdetermined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Solar Dance’ as unique cultivar of Coreopsis.

-   -   1. ‘Solar Dance’ exhibits a broadly upright and compact plant        habit.    -   2. ‘Solar Dance’ exhibits semi-double ray florets that are deep        yellow in color.    -   3. ‘Solar Dance’ exhibits a long and floriferous bloom period.    -   4. ‘Solar Dance’ exhibits good winter hardiness.    -   5. ‘Solar Dance’ exhibits healthy foliage.

The female parent of ‘Solar Dance’, an unnamed Coreopsis grandifloraseedling, differs from ‘Solar Dance’ in having a more open plant habit,in having fewer ray florets, in having a shorter bloom period, and inbeing less floriferous. ‘Solar Dance’ can be compared to the Coreopsiscultivars ‘Galaxy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,999) and ‘Moonbeam’ (notpatented). ‘Galaxy’ is similar to ‘Solar Dance’ in having semi-doubleray florets. ‘Galaxy’ differs from ‘Solar Dance’ in having a more openplant habit, in being less floriferous, and in having ray florets thatare lighter yellow in color. ‘Moonbeam’ is similar to ‘Solar Dance’ inbeing cold hardy to U.S.D.A Zone 4. ‘Moonbeam’ differs from ‘SolarDance’ in having ray florets that are darker yellow in color, in havingsingle ray florets, and in having leaves that are narrower in width.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Coreopsis. The photographs weretaken of four month-old plants of ‘Solar Dance’ as field grown inWarmond, The Netherlands and placed in a container for the photographs.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of ‘Solar Dance’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the inflorescencesof ‘Solar Dance’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of ‘SolarDance’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and the color values citedin the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors ofthe new Coreopsis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of four month-old plants of thenew cultivar as field grown outdoors in Warmond, The Netherlands. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Blooms from June to late September in the            Netherlands.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, broadly-upright,            clump-forming, densely branched.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 50 cm in height and in            width.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A Zone 4.        -   Diseases.—Plants have been observed to be healthy without            any disease problems observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous when young, becoming fleshy with            age.        -   Propagation.—Root cuttings and stem cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Oval, ridged.        -   Stem color.—144A.        -   Stem size.—Main and secondary stems; an average of 16.4 cm            in length and 2.5 mm in width.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous.        -   Stem aspect.—Upright.        -   Branching habit.—Well-branched, an average of 1 main branch,            105 secondary branches per main stem.        -   Internode length.—An average of 5.6 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire to trifid.        -   Leaf size.—Variable, up to 6.4 cm in length and 1.3 cm in            width when entire, up to 6.4 cm in length and 2.6 cm in            width when trifid.        -   Leaf shape.—Lanceolate when entire and hastate when trifid.        -   Leaf base.—Long cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color on the upper surface; N144A            and on the lower surface; 146C.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surface dull, lower surface            base, margins and main vein sparsely pubescent with very            short soft hairs an average of 0.3 mm in length and NN155D            in color.        -   Leaf color.—Young and mature upper surface; 144A, young            lower surface; 146B, mature lower surface; 146D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary capitulum consisting of disc            florets surrounded by two rows of ray florets.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—An average of 3 weeks until            senescence of ray flowers, longer in cool temperatures,            bracts and disk flowers are persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—An average of 2 per lateral            stem.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 2 cm in depth an average            of 4.4 cm in diameter.        -   Inflorekence buds.—Average of 7 mm in depth and 9 mm in            diameter, flattened globular in shape, color; 152A with apex            3A.        -   Peduncle.—Oval in shape, an average of 18.6 cm in length and            2 mm in width, glabrous, slightly glossy surface, N144A to            N144C in color.        -   Sepals.—An average of 5, 8 mm in length and 2 mm in width,            N144A to N144C in color.-   Involucral bracts:    -   -   Bract number.—An average of 18, 10 outer bracts and 8 inner            bracts.        -   Bract arrangement.—Bracts surround receptacle in a            campanulate form, held close to lower surface of ray            florets.        -   Bract size.—Outer bracts; an average of 1 cm in length and 5            mm in width, lower bracts; an average of 6 mm in length and            4 mm in width.        -   Bract color.—Outer bracts upper and lower surface; 152A with            margins 153C to 153D, inn bracts upper surface; 143C and            lower surface; 143B.        -   Bract texture.—Surface of outer bracts; glabrous and dull            and inner bracts; glabrous and slightly glossy.        -   Bract apex.—Acute.        -   Bract base.—Broad cuneate.        -   Bract margins.—Entire.        -   Bract shape.—Outer bracts; deltoid, inner bracts; ovate.-   Ray florets (sterile):    -   -   Number.—An average of 18 arranged primarily in two rows.        -   Shape.—Obcordate.        -   Size.—An average of 2.1 cm in length and 1.5 cm in width.        -   Apex.—4 notched, lobes acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margins.—Entire with apex notched.        -   Arrangement.—Rotate and outward.        -   Texture.—Glabrous and dull on upper and lower surface, upper            surface slightly velvety.        -   Color.—When opening inner surface; 5B with base 7A and outer            surface; 7A with base 12A, when fully open inner surface; 9A            with the base 12A and outer surface; 7A with the base 12A.-   Disk flowers (perfect):    -   -   Shape.—Tubular, corolla is fused, flared at apex.        -   Number.—About 70.        -   Size.—About 8 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width.        -   Color.—En masse; 14A, corolla tube; 15B with base 145C and            apex 14A.        -   Receptacle.—About 5 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth, color;            145C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Presence.—Disk flowers are perfect, ray flowers are sterile.        -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil, 7 mm in length, style is very fine, 5.5            mm in length and 15C in color, stigma is decurrent in shape            and 15A in color, ovary is 1 mm in length and width,            inferior, and 145D in color.        -   Androcoecium.—5 stamens, fused into tube surrounding style,            anther; an average of 4 mm in length, basifixed and linear            in shape, 14A with base 200A in color, pollen is moderate in            quantity and 17B in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—No fruit or seed development was observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Coreopsis plant named‘Solar Dance’ as herein illustrated and described.